In My Refuge are Love and Names
by Annelda Michelle
Summary: Heero comes to Annelda's house for refuge from his own mind, but it ends up being more than just a casual conversation, will he realize his true feelings for her before he slips into darkness and will he ever find his true name.
1. HEERO'S DISTANCE

1 He just came out of the blue one night. He just came and sat there, never saying more than a few words. This went on for two weeks. The first night, Annelda had been sitting in her chair reading a book when she heard a rattle of someone trying to break in through the balcony door. Startled and frightened, she drew back the curtains. She gasped as her eyes met an intense steel gaze in the black night. "Heero!" Lighting flashed as the rain poured down, drowning everything in black chaos, everything except Heero. Caught off guard, Annelda fumbled with the lock, but successfully opened the doors. What was he...? The rain fell down his face and dripped off the tip of his nose, he was drenched, but this didn't seem to faze him in the least. His cold expression remained. "Heero?" "Can I come in?" Heero asked solemnly. "Sure I..." Annelda stepped out of his way. Heero walked to her bedside and sat down on the floor next to it, leaning his back against the bed.

Heero's fierce eyes were distant, yet intensely focused on something she could not see. Still shocked, Annelda opened her mouth to question Heero, but thought better of it. She could ask him her questions later. Now was not the time. Annelda resigned to her comfortable chair and reluctantly returned to her book. Heero was silent the whole time; his mind caught somewhere thinking about what, Annelda didn't have a clue. It was well after midnight when he finally spoke. "Thank you, Annelda." the golden haired girl looked up from her book, ready to hear what he had to say, but he was already getting up and headed for the balcony door. Annelda hastefully followed him. "Where are you going Heero? You can stay if you want." Heero walked out into the balcony straight to the ledge. The rain had stopped. Heero paused, looking into the night. He is so stubborn she thought. Uncertainty crept into Annelda's skin, the worrisome fear she would never see him again struck her heart. "Will you come back?" she asked quietly. Heero jumped onto the ledge and turned his face towards her. "Yeah, tomorrow night." "Sure, I'll be here." And with that Heero jumped into the night. Back inside her room, Annelda worried that maybe he wouldn't return, that somehow he would be swallowed up by the night, or kidnapped by whatever problem that was plaguing him, and without a trace he left.

Heero came back the next night as promised and then the night after that and the night after that. Those nights turned into weeks and soon those weeks turned into months. Each time one more word was said and the silence between them would say the words much better than if spoken. Heero's mind gradually left that unknown dimension, his eyes stealing thoughtful glances upon Annelda. Likewise, Annelda would occasionally peek behind her book, stealing her own glances at the mysterious solider. This game continued until one night, the pair caught each other's gaze.

At first Annelda thought he would quickly look away, but he didn't. He stared back with his intense Prussian eyes, bearing into her heart, questioning her, challenging her. She felt naked, utterly naked under his gaze, but she wouldn't back down either, not on her life. Heero was scrutinizing her very being, and she was determined not to break, not now. What was he trying to prove? Was he testing her? Annelda threw back a glare of defiance, but the intensity of Heero's gaze continued. Annelda could feel herself weaken, her strength eaten away by Heero's glare, but she wouldn't, not for anything back down. Suddenly, Heero rose to his feet and without breaking his fierce gaze, walked over to the chair. Heero easily plucked the book out of her hands, and placed his hands on the arms of the chair. His face with his cold burning eyes was about a foot from her face. Annelda's body involuntary quivered, she desperately hoped Heero could not see the turmoil she was feeling. "If you look away now you can still save yourself from the consequences." Heero's voice was low and smooth, not a hint of any unsettledness. Annelda's heart fluttered at the sound of his voice but she fought too outwardly and kept her composer. "I'm sure I could handle any consequence it brings." She responded calmly. Was his face getting closer to hers, or was she the one leaning towards him?

An unknown force drew them both close, very close. "Even if it means I have to kill you?" He asked softly. Annelda could feel his warm breath brush against her lips. His eyes no longer held the challenge, the blinding intensity. Instead behind the cool expression, his eyes were filled with a certain sincere, compassionate emotion, an emotion Annelda had seen only once before. "If that's what you want." Annelda answered smiling as Heero closed the tiny space and caught her lips with his.

Soft morning light crept through the curtains; slowly making its way around the room. The virgin rays bounced off the fresh linens creating an unearthly glow around the poster bed, and amidst the satin sheets, laid Heero. Wide awake, Heero laid pondering her question, "Heero, what is your real name?" Heero thought about this very carefully. What should I tell her? The implications, revealing his true name meant that he would have to tell her about his past too. A painful, confusing past. Some things the perfect soldier couldn't remember, but others remained permanently imprinted on him, like the deaths, the innocent deaths. The raw ravenous emotions, but somehow Annelda could see the black amber eyed ghost that plagued his inner mind. Heero glanced at his partner lying beside him, Annelda was still peacefully asleep.

Her chest rose up and down to the rhythm of her gentle breath. An affectionate smile spread across Heero's lips. She looked so innocent, so pure. Heero reached out to touch her face, but then pulled back. No, he wouldn't wake her. Heero's gaze traveled down Annelda's figure, studying how the sheets curled around her body. Seductively emphasizing each curve. Heero smiled and then his thoughts drifted to the night before, the night when Annelda asked "Who are you, Heero?"

It was close to midnight when Annelda strode into her bedroom with Heero close behind. "These preventer missions are starting to wear me out." Annelda sighed. She stood in front of her mirror tugging at the hair band that held her hair back. "I know it's my duty and to my advantage that I was a former Gundam pilot, but during every lecture all they want to do is talk about me, you would think they never saw a woman pilot before." Annelda did her best impression of the old fashioned aristocrats as she pulled the hair band out. "My dear Annelda you look so elegant in that dress of yours! I heard you were simply brilliant at the Terra convention last week! Bravo! I've never seen another person that speaks with your eloquence and air." Annelda sighed as she set the hair band on the dresser. Silence filled the room for a moment. Annelda could hear footsteps walk across the carpet. She could actually feel his presence behind her. He covered her hand with his, Annelda slowly turned around to meet his eyes. "You like dancing with me!" Heero answered. "But they don't dance like you Heero." "Then you should dance with me more often." Without another word, Heero brought Annelda's hand to his shoulder as he slipped his other arm around her waist. A bit puzzled at first, Annelda soon got the hint. The pair twirled to the music only they could hear.

Heero could feel her warm breath tickle his neck. Their dance had settled down now to a slow sway. Annelda rested her head upon his shoulder. He held her close and maybe he thought, just maybe, if he held her close enough those cold memories, those black thoughts would truly go away just for a moment. Annelda gently pulled her face away from Heero's neck and looked into his eyes. Heero greeted her eyes staring right back into hers. Annelda's eyes filled with love and passion, pierced through him, straight to his heart. "Heero?" Annelda's voice broke the silence and also the fear that started to well up inside him. "Yes!" "What is your real name?" She asked. Taken by surprise, Heero broke his gaze and looked away. He put up his protective glassy stare. He couldn't answer questions like that. He just couldn't especially about his past. There was so much he didn't remember, and yet there were things he didn't want to remember. Life was much easier if no questions were asked.

Annelda rested her head against his chest, unsure if she should regret what she just said. She had only asked what his real name was, but she was actually asking much more, too much. Both were silent. Time and gentle swaying of their bodies seemed to melt away the uneasiness left by Annelda's question. After a while Heero spoke. "I could tell you, you know.' Heero mused. "But then I would have to kill you." Annelda could sense Heero's inward smile. "Oh really?" Annelda smiled, relieved. "Did anyone ever tell you curiosity killed the cat?" He said into her ear. Annelda answered "My curiosity has had many opportunities to kill me, but." She brushed her lips against his ear. "But it seems he never can." Annelda anticipated Heero's reaction out of the corner of her eye. Foolishly, Heero opened his mouth to chide her for thinking so recklessly but stopped. She was making fun of him. No one made fun of Heero Yuy, no one. Instantly Heero's hold on Annelda changed. He no longer held her with a light, tender touch. He held her as if she was caught-ensnared in a trap. He spoke in her ear coldly. "Don't push me!" He growled. Heero could hear Annelda's breath catch in her throat.

"What make you think I couldn't kill you right now? You've become too trusting miss former pilot." He sneered. Heero felt her confusion radiate through him as he held her firmly in his arms. Maybe he shouldn't have spoken to her like that. He only wanted to frighten her a little. Annelda became still under his grip. "Hmm? What makes you think I couldn't kill you right now? Answer me!" Annelda was silent and still for a moment. Then she quietly spoke in his ear, "because," She whispered. "Your gun is in your jacket," she continued. "And your jacket is on the chair." Annelda pointed across the room at the recliner. The perfect soldier looked at Annelda then at the recliner then back again. He stared in disbelief. Damn, beaten again! Heero let out an exasperated sigh of defeat. Damn, he loved her too much. Annelda laughed, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked, trying to keep a straight face. "The only thing left to do." And with that Heero grabbed Annelda's legs and threw her over his shoulder. "Heero!" Annelda cried having trouble controlling her laughter. "Put me down!" With Annelda hanging over his shoulder, Heero nonchalantly strolled over to the chair and deftly slipped out his gun from his jacket. Meanwhile, Annelda tried to lift herself up to no avail. "Heero Yuy, let me down this instant!" "Stop squirming so much." Was Heero's only answer. Heero dropped out the cartridge, juggling both gun and cartridge in one hand. The other of course held tightly onto Annelda. Hearing the clicks of the gun, Annelda became mildly alarmed. "What are you doing?" She asked, but Heero continued to fiddle with the gun. "Answer me, Heero!" Annelda was starting to get a little frustrated. She still couldn't see anything that was going on.

"I'm checking to see if my gun is loaded." Heero finally responded. "Is it?" Smiling Heero snapped the last piece into place. "Now it is." Annelda held tightly onto Heero as he abruptly whirled around, walking away from the chair. Annelda's golden hair hung over her face like drapery, preventing her from seeing where they were headed. All senses alert, she listened carefully to every movement and sound, and waited. Heero stopped; Annelda could hear him set the gun down on a table. My night stand? What? Annelda's thoughts were cut short as Heero swiftly took her off his shoulder, and into his arms. Then gently laying her on the bed in one smooth motion. Annelda could smell the fresh sheets as her head sunk into the soft feather pillow. A moment later Heero's face came into her vision. His face and body close to hers, Heero gazed deeply into her eyes. Instantly, Annelda's nerves were calmed, her apprehension gone. Hearing his shallow breath and feeling his chest against hers put Annelda into a state of eternal calmness.

Breaking his gaze, Heero closed his eyes and laid a sweet kiss on her forehead. Inhaling, Annelda's eyelids closed as she felt his lips against her skin, recuperating from the excitement. "And the gun?" Annelda asked, her eyes still shut. Heero's face came back into view as Annelda opened them. His face wore an affectionate expression. "In case I change my mind." Heero said smiling, tracing his fingertips lightly along the edges of her cheek bone down to her jaw. "Or," Heero continued. "In case some unfortunate soul decides to interrupt us." Annelda's eyes danced as Heero sealed his promise with a sweet kiss.

Heero grinned at the memory; he glanced over at the still sleeping Annelda. Yes, he could tell her, Heero mused. She could handle it. Annelda had seen, heard and had been involved in more stressful situations than most people. Who was he kidding? She could probably understand where he was coming from better than himself. She had also witnessed her parent's death, and at the same time was informed that her father wanted her to be a Gundam pilot. Heero couldn't decide which was worse, a warm secure life shattered or a life where there was nothing to shatter. Nothing worth losing anyway. At least she had some memories that she could hold on to. Heero bent down touching his finger under her chin, and kissed the sleeping beauty. He pulled away, still gazing at her, as her eyes fluttered open. "Good morning." Heero said softly. Annelda drew a deep breath stretching her arms out and then curled up again hugging her pillow. She looked at Heero with huge innocent eyes. "Good morning." Annelda cooed, smiling brightly. Heero stared into her clear blue eyes and became lost for a moment, only coming back when he remembered he had to tell her something important.

"I want to tell you," He said. Annelda understood the vague statement. "I can tell you what I know, what I remember." He continued. Heero laid his head back down on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke, speaking in an emotionless tone. His past couldn't be explained any other way, itself was devoid of emotion. "I was raised by a professional assassin called Odin Lowe, and I was trained from a young age to follow his footsteps. When I was ten, Odin told me that he was going to abandon me after our last mission. He said he wanted me to live a normal life." Heero paused. "Odin got himself killed on that mission. From then on I was free to do what I wanted." Silence. "I went by Odin Lowe Jr." Annelda gazed intently at Heero's profile. Odin Lowe Jr., she murmured, the name certainly fit his fascinating past. "Soon after Dr. J found me, and offered me a job I couldn't refuse." Heero's train of thought paused. He could still hear Dr. J's exasperated voice. "You can come with me and use your life to fight against OZ for the colonies, or you can rot on the streets. Which do you prefer?"

Heero shook his head gently pushing the memory away, but it didn't stop the flood of further memories of his accomplishments as a Gundam pilot, both good and bad. Heero finally brought himself out of the lurking memories to the task at hand. What else could he say? Was that the end? His name, "Dr. J knew about Odin Lowe. I don't know how, not many people knew about him. The higher powers including OZ made sure all records associated with the assassination of Heero Yuy were deleted. Anyway, he knew that a Gundam pilot running with the name Odin wasn't such a good idea. Operation Meteor's goal was not only to take over Earth but also to revenge the death of Heero Yuy. The chances of meeting a high official who new Odin were too high and very dangerous, so he gave me the more appropriate codename Heero Yuy." There he said it. Heero's questioning eyes met soft reassuring face. Content with himself, Heero stretched out and laid his head upon Annelda's stomach.

Glowing with maternal expression, Annelda played with Heero's unruly hair, running it through her fingers. My beautiful dark angel. Time passed and the two soldiers just laid there, soaking in the morning rays. Time passed without another word between them, only the gentle sound of fingers running through hair. The color and the decor of the room had a surreal effect, almost like they were in heaven, with the yellow light and warm caressing breeze. "Heero?" "HN?" Heero answered without opening an eye. "Do you remember your mother?" Heero frowned and opened his eyes. "My mother?" "Yes." Annelda said slowly. "Do you have any memories of her?" Dumb founded, Heero opened his mouth but then shut it. Those memories, the time before Odin Lowe, the short time when he actually possessed pure innocence had died long ago. All those years with Odin, he had lived inside his head with an exhausting intensity. His own little world, Odin Lowe Jr., experienced things a child normally wouldn't experience until much later in life or for some not at all.

Heero came to regard the rest of the world with cool pretended indifference. He did this to keep himself from going crazy, handling everything with a cold objectivity that could protect him from potential pain. Though it didn't totally eradicate his feelings. He didn't let that happen. "No I don't remember anything of my life before Odin." Heero replied with sliver of regret. Did he really have no memories of his real parents? Why? Why did it have to be that way? Heero put this question to rest a long time ago, but something nagged at Heero's mind and heart. With Odin he didn't have much time to dwell on what his life was like before. He always assumed Odin saved him from the streets. Though Heero never had any memories of living on the streets. Still, he must have had a mother one way or another. Heero's eyes furrowed in frustration. He didn't even have a clue what she looked like! How pathetic was that? Damn him! Odin was never one for volunteering information. Heero never asked about his past he knew he would never get a straight answer. Damn him and his ways! Heero thought angrily, he couldn't even remember her face! Her name! Then suddenly out of nothingness, a memory rose deep within Heero's mind and stuck him forcefully but her long black hair had fallen over her face like a shroud, hiding her porcelain face forever. Heero's breath caught in his throat. His mind went numb as he increasingly realized the truth of the memory. That day, that day changed his life, his soul forever. "What of your real name Heero?" Annelda asked lightly. "I don't remember my real name. I'm sorry but that's all I can remember." Heero answered in remorse not telling Annelda about the memory. "I'll help you find out who you really are Heero. Just like you helped me when my parents died." Thank you, Annelda!" He said as they both fell into a deep slumber, and stayed together wrapped up in each other arms.


	2. CODENAME HEERO YUY

Heero stirred in bed, unable to sleep. Next to him, Annelda was knocked out, obviously to the world at large. She wasn't snoring, although he wouldn't have minded if she had been. The woman gundam pilot had come back from a ten day mission to the colonies last night, and had simply collapsed on her bed after Heero gave her a welcome home kiss. He was beginning to worry she'd burn herself out at this rate.

He kissed her nose gently before sliding out of bed, yawning and stretching in his night close. Ever since he moved in with Annelda two years ago, he'd gotten into the habit of wearing regular pajamas, mostly because she insisted on it. More often than not they had ended up on the floor, unheeded, in those early days. Heero smiled to himself at the memory.

There was his laptop, drawing him in like a magnet. He turned it on, sighing as the power cells warmed up the backlit gel display. The soft glow of the monitor filled the room. Next to it, last night's cup of coffee beckoned as well, but it had been sitting out for quite some time, and as Heero suspected the dregs at the bottom were ice cold. Not that he needed coffee anyway. It was probably the whole reason he couldn't sleep to begin with.

He logged onto the wireless network to check his email. Spam, spam, more spam, note from Quatre, more spam, and a vaguely familiar return address caught his attention. He frowned as he wracked his memory for the name, Derrick Inverness? Who was? Suddenly he remembered and quickly opened the email, his heart beating unexplainably fast.

_Mr. Yuy:_

_Remember that Hypnosis session we had with Dr. Myers last month? One of the leads we uncovered may have panned out. Odin Lowe checked into a hotel on colony four under the name of Heero Yuy. It's too much of a coincidence for me. Let me know when you can get in touch so we can investigate this further._

_Sincerely,_

_Derrick Inverness_

_PI_

_P.S. Delete this email after you've read it._

Heero hesitated before deleting the email. After nearly a year of exhaustive investigation a lead had finally turned out something. He'd under gone hypnosis last month to comb his childhood memories for anything, any fragment that might help him discover his origins. Although he didn't remember any of it, there were hours of recording of him, droning out places they'd visited, people Odin Lowe had killed.

Wait a minute he hadn't started going by the name Heero Yuy until after Odin Lowe had died. Before then, he'd usually been called Odin Lowe Junior when he needed a name, why in the world did Odin use the name Yuy to check into a hotel? Inverness was right it was too much of a coincidence.

He sent a quick reply to Inverness saying he'd meet him tomorrow evening if that was convenient. It was probably just that , a coincidence, after all Yuy was a fairly common name, and Odin had used whatever name and tax number combination he could get his hands on to stay undercover, but Heero had a gut feeling. They were onto something, He knew it.

Heero skulked in the shadows of the Romanov Hotel in Prague, a few hours' drive from the Sank Kingdom Capital. Annelda was already off to yet another mission on one of the colonies, so he hadn't even told her he was going anywhere. He didn't want her to worry about him. After all, technically he was just lying low with her in case the world needed the perfect soldier again, that's not true I love her he thought to himself, but technically, officially he didn't exist.

He wanted to change all that, last year he'd been inspired by Duo going on a genetic genealogy quest and finding his roots in the United States back on earth. Whereas Duo's search had been greatly simplified by the fact he knew he had a sister somewhere in Texas, who he found some weeks later, it just so happened that Annelda turned out to be his sister. Heero was not so fortunate. Not even DNA matching had brought any results. He hired Inverness when he realized there was nothing more he could do himself. Inverness was the man who assisted Duo in uncovering his family.

Overhead the dim ally light flickered. Heero hated clandestine meetings like this, but Inverness preferred to work in the shadows. The man did good work; Heero would have never thought of undergoing hypnosis to trace his life as far back as he could remember. Sadly, his first memories were of Odin Lowe.

No parents, no family, no history. It was if he'd just simply sprung into being, the mythological perfect soldier, popping out of Odin Lowe's head like some masculine Athena. Not that Odin had been a bad surrogate parent, as far as parents could go. He'd taught him to defend himself and how to use a gun as soon as he could hold one.

Why did Odin take care of him? He could have just dumped him in an orphanage, and been rid of him. Odin certainly wasn't his genetic father. Lowe had been gaijin and Heero was clearly American. No, something must have happened for some reason; Lowe wanted to take care of him. Trust your feelings. Heero still followed that advice. When all else failed, the human instinct had ways of detecting patterns that the conscious mind missed. Instincts had kept mankind alive for thousands of years; they had kept Heero alive for twenty two.

"Yuy" Inverness appeared quietly, without fanfare. Heero nodded in response. The private investigator wore a black trench coat, an over sized black hat, and a long black scarf wrapped around so that it obscured most of his features. Inverness had a flair for the dramatic, because as he put it, people don't acknowledge people who seem to want to be acknowledged. By dressing up as a mockery of himself, people took himself less seriously, something that worked to his advantage more often than not. "Who is Heero Yuy"? Heero asked, cutting to the chase. "We don't know that yet, all his records were erased, every single one".

Heero raised an eyebrow, many records had been lost during the war, and after all, data safety was the least of worries when there are bombs falling around you. Especially for unimportant records like shopping receipts, yet for all the records to be gone from every database meant that someone had deliberately gone through and pulled them.

"Are there any left at all do you think"?

"The closed International Genetics Database may have some information on him. However, no outsiders are allowed in there at all. I don't think even your pretty little girlfriend can legally get you in there".

Heero ignored the comment about Annelda. "I can hack into anything, just give me the IP address and watch me". Inverness shook his head, "The IGD is all hard copy, you'll have to break into it, and the security there is pretty tight". Heero sighed and closed his eyes. "I can probably break into anything as well, okay where is it, and what am I looking for"?

"They'll have his name, tax number and genetic information on file there, more importantly; they'll have his family history. Chances are, you'll find nothing important there, but you did say you wanted to investigate all leads". Heero nodded. "Write it all down on pen and paper. Don't risk breaking into the network, if you're caught in there, I don't know who the hell you are, and neither will any of your friends. Bring me the information. We'll meet again later this week. The IGD is a huge building in Sydney a few blocks down from the opera house, you won't miss it. Any other questions"?

Heero grimaced, here we go again, "mission accepted".

Inverness blended into the shadows again, and was gone. Heero reflected on what kind of life a PI had to lead, always digging around in everyone's business skulking around in alley's, of course getting paid a bundle to do so. Perhaps a viable career option for an ex soldier who probably shouldn't even exist.

Several days later Heero found himself outside the IGD in Sydney. He waited until five in the morning before beginning his break in plan. The IGD was indeed an imposing building, at least ten stories tall; solid, gray, business like and mirrored glass, surrounded by five meter high security fence. First things first, he'd spray a light non aerosol mist across the fence noting where the security lasers were. Two of them, good. He placed four tiny pocket mirrors on the fence about a meter apart, so that the lasers reflected onto themselves and wouldn't be set off. Next, sonic alarms, he hung a long string between the two laser ones. A string wouldn't set the alarms off, hopefully. A tell tale twitch at the end let him know where the sonic alarms were.

He repacked his supplies efficiently on his black divers suit, very aware of the fact that if her were to get caught here, it would not only be extremely embarrassing for Annelda, but it would surely hurt her career as well. He didn't want that to happen for her, so he couldn't get caught, simple as that. Picking his way carefully over the three alarms, easily finding toe-holds even though the thin leather gloves, he swung himself over the barbed wire on top and landed on the grassy ground with a soft thud, rolling to minimize the impact. He lay very quiet for a few seconds, the patch of wall he'd picked to scale was a good hundred meters away from the gate and he'd dropped a mild sleeping capsule in the guard house for good measure, but one could never be too careful. When no one seemed to be shouting at him for a few minutes, he picked himself up and continued on his way.

He found a nice unassuming side door, and swiped a bacterial marker over the numbers on the keypad. Three, five and six glowed neon green for a few seconds before fading again. That was all he needed to know, within a few brief moments he'd disable the alarm, pick the tumblers and he found himself in a low corridor leading to the heart of the building. So far so good. He turned on a flashlight, there would have to be a fire map on every floor, something that is very useful to spies and assassins. It wasn't to long before he found one near what had to be the main lobby. Even better it was electronic and displayed the room name for every room on the floor. Stairways were there; Y-Z storage was on the 9th floor. He hoped that Y-Z storage meant the genetic storage by surname.

Up eight flights of stairs, picking the locks for the two fire doors. Heero snorted, that was just dangerous. The whole point of the fire doors was that they be always open so that people could escape a fire. He wasn't even winded when he crept into the eighth floor hallway.

Y-Z storage was a large room of thousands of files cabinets. Heero reverently tiptoed through them, searching for the Yu section. The surname Yuy occupied forty whole drawers. Sighing Heero picked the simple key locks on Yuy, Ha-He. Idly, he checked for information on his own code name. As he suspected, all of the Heero Yuy's were missing. Not that he'd ever donate blood or anything. Kind of nice to know that even this important database didn't officially know he existed. There were about a hundred Hayden Yuy's on file, with key genome markers and immediate family information displayed on onion paper to minimize space. Heero carefully search through looking for the tax number he received from Inverness. There it was.

Hardly daring to breathe, Heero pulled out the index card, of course he was disappointed, the genetic information had been entirely blacked out, as had been the date of birth, all immediate family information and even his blood type. Heero wanted to howl in rage at the thoroughness of the censors. Obviously Hayden Yuy had been important, but the censor had been sloppy, and Heero could just make out the name of the person spouse. Hayden's wife had been named Lila.

Well the card was useless. But maybe Lila Yuy's would be in better shape. He returned Hayden's card and closed and locked the drawer before going to the Yuy, L-Li. Lila Yuy's file was also censored heavily. However, this card listed a son. There was no date of birth, no blood type, nothing that the censor hadn't blacked out, but it did give his place of birth, Memorial Hospital on Colony One.

He carefully returned her card, and exited the building, still in full stealth even though his head was swirling with disturbing thoughts. A son on colony one. It was probably all just a coincidence; Odin Lowe had, had literally hundreds of allies, and Yuy was a common name in all its romanaji spellings. Even so, Heero knew they were onto something big, even if it wasn't his family. Someone had wanted Hayden Yuy and all his family erased from the face of the earth.

Memorial Hospital, Colony One. Heero breathed in the friendly recycled air of his old home. It was funny, really; Colony One wasn't some place he ever expected to miss, but now that he was here, he realized that he'd been homesick for the slightly off gravity and breath taking views of stars through side walls.

The streets of Colony Ones were no longer so lonely. People had begun to rebuild their lives, and buildings once shattered by explosions had either been replaced or torn down. The very face of the cities within the sides of the colony had changed as well. Gone were the war orphans in the streets. Many of them had grown up and moved on with life, and the rest had found a home within the wreckage that was civilization.

Had he found a home? Sure, he had a place to stay, a woman who loved him desperately despite his flaws, and dear friends who could and had died for him, but part of him still felt like a wanderer, lost in the aftermath of his own violent youth. His hands, so stained with blood, could never be washed clean. All he could do was vow to never kill again, and continue on with his life.

The hospital was a small, squat building, not much more than a clinic, really deep in the heart of the colony. He walked inside the doors in broad daylight. Unlike the IGD, the records at this hospital were open to him, thanks to his somewhat unofficial affiliation with the preventers. In an odd way, after the Barton War, he'd become something of a hero to the people of the colony. Heero the hero. He smiled to himself. It had a nice ring to it.

Heero walked up to the main desk, where a plump secretary glanced up from her work, he piggish eyes squinting through owl rimmed glasses.

"Can I help you?" she asked in an annoyed voice. Heero took a calm breath, no reason to be hostile to the only person who could help him. "I'm looking for someone, someone who was born here". "What year"? "I don't know"! "What name"? "I don't know"! The woman frowned at him. "Honey, you know I can't just let you flip through our records until you see one you like, do you at least have the parent's names"? "Yuy, Lila and Hayden". Something about the names caused the woman to pause. "Lila and Hayden Yuy? You mean Lila Yuy, the old Heero Yuy's sister"?

Heero felt the blood drain from his face. So that was the connection. He managed to keep his expression calm. "Yes, I want to see the records for their child". The woman frowned again. "What relation are you to them"? "I don't know"! Heero grimaced. This was going great so far. "Look Hun, you're gonna have to have better answers than that before I let ya see the records. I mean we can't just let…oh"!

Heero had taken out his preventers ID card. Never mind that it had expired last year. The impact, the name were enough. "The new Heero Yuy, Well why didn't you say so?" The secretary puffed up importantly, something Heero felt she didn't really need to make a large impression.

"Jennifer would you please come up and watch the front desk for a moment"? She said in the call box. She stood up and beckoned to Heero, and led the way into the inner sanctum of the hospital records department. "A lot of the files were destroyed in a fire during the war. Fortunately, I think the Y section survived intact".

Above their heads, three meter tall shelves lined with thousands of records loomed imposingly, their bulging folders bright against the cool gray of their metal cages. An occasional desk was tucked among the rows and data entry clerks were hard at work, converting the records t the latest storage format, Heero took it all in with wide eyes, so this is how civilian hospitals work.

"Ah, here we are. Lila Yuy, I remember her. She died during child birth you know". Heero felt an icy vise close around his heart. No, he hadn't known.

"Her last request was to name their son after his uncle, your name sake, I believe her husband did so, and was overcome with grief at the loss of his wife that he committed suicide. He knew they shouldn't have tried natural birth in space, and he blamed himself for her death. It was all over the news when it happened, about twenty four years ago, ah here's the record".

Heero tried to control his sense of anticipation as she opened the records. There in would lay the secret of Lila Yuy's son, the nephew of the real Heero Yuy. "What the….!" the woman whispered as she opened the records. Gone. All of them gone, ripped out from the roots the green folder still containing shredded fragments of the carbon copy, but the files on Lila Yuy were no longer there.

"Damn"! Heero whispered to himself.

"I don't understand. No one should have access to this backroom without permission, why would someone do this"? Heero shook his head. "They're trying to erase her from history, just like they all but erased Heero Yuy from history. Tell me, you were here when she had that child weren't you"? The woman nodded. "I've been here since before the assassination of Heero Yuy, he was taken to this hospital to be treated, but he'd been shot through the heart, damn the man that did that to him. Damn him for all eternity".

The woman trembled in indignation, her black coif bobbing in the combs that held it fast. Heero shook his head once more. "The man who killed Heero Yuy served his penance for the rest of his life. Even if he is in hell, he suffered greatly for what he had done." Heero had known hat Odin had killed Heero Yuy long ago. Ironically that his adopted son had taken on the code name of the most important figure he assassinated.

"Anyway, is there any place I might be able to find information on Lila Yuy? It's important to me". The woman thought for a moment. "You may want to try the Center of Disease Control in Atlanta on Earth. Lila was a classic example of space birth complications, and they're the ones who handled her autopsy". Another lead then. "Thank you very much". Heero said with a formal bow as he could muster. "You have helped me more that you can imagine". The woman blushed. "You're very welcome, Mr. Yuy". She tried to bow back but her bulk made the logistics of such a move difficult.

"Oh Mr. Yuy, before you go may I ask you one question in return"? Heero paused. He'd already started to walk towards the door, eager to continue his quest. Lila was the key to the whole mystery, he was sure. "Yes"! "Can I have your autograph"? If Heero were capable of a face fault he would have done so. The woman looked so hopeful, so meek and supplicant, but since face faulting was more along Duo's style, Heero did what he himself did best instead.

"HNN".

Atlanta Georgia was not a pleasant place, even before the colonies. The city had suffered massive sprawl, its metropolitan area stretching for hundreds of miles around it. Spilling into suburbs and taking over towns around it until it had spread so much over most or the North West corner of the state. The only person, who hated Atlanta more than Heero, was Annelda, and even then their hatred of the city was probably an even match. The center of Disease Control was even more tightly secured than the IGD had been. Heero couldn't break into it outright, but there was more than one way to skin a cat.

First, he hacked into the genetics systems for the University of Georgia, acquiring several identities in the process. At least he could do that from outside of the bloated mess that was Atlanta. On his laptop in a hotel in Athens he composed a simple little program in C++, that good old ancient programming language that allowed him to slip on the virtual identities of the University like a second skin. A quick reroute through the University labs, making sure to trigger the firewalls so that no one could trace it back to his IP and he was ready to tackle the CDC.

The identities he had picked up were all research professors who were well known and respected. Hopefully one would have remote access to the files in the CDC. He tried one after the other, making sure to change his IP address radically each time, and coming from different backbone servers all over the continent so as no to set off alarms, but it was to no avail; apparently, the CDC didn't even allow genetics professors access to the most personal files remotely. There was always plan B then.

He broke into the University Genetics Building, a historic DNA shape affair that had been built way before the colonies. He found the ID'S some genetics professor had carelessly left in his office, and copied the vital information from it, taking a digital image of himself with a tiny camera, then breaking into the University's photography lab. He was now suddenly a genetics professor, the name tag complete with his photo said so. It also said his name was Nathaniel Patel. Heero hoped that whoever was on guard duty at the CDC wouldn't question why such a young man would work at the CDC.

The CDC used fingerprints and retinal scans. Copying those would be far more difficult, so Heero simply packed a silencer. It temporarily rerouted electronics in its immediate area, disabling them and allowing him to fool pretty much any alarm with the right programming. An alarm that was muted couldn't go off. The device was so illegal that Heero almost regretted having to use it. He made a not to destroy it afterward. It made breaking in almost too easy.

The CDC sprawled much like the bloated city around it. Stretching high into the air and across several city blocks. The outer guard let him in when he flashed his newly acquired University ID, not even bothering to check the name. so far so good. White lab coat flapping in the breeze. He wandered through the quadrangle that acted as a lawn keeping himself as calm as possible. The files on Lila Yuy would hopefully uncover more leads, if not answers.

Heero walked up to the second gate of the CDC. The silencer did its job well sending all the right signals to the computer so that it believed it had received the all clear from the central database. Heero gave a curt, business like nod to the second guard, and entered the labyrinth of the CDC. Long, echoing hallways are hard to stay inconspicuous in, Heero thought idly. The trick is to act like you belong, like you know exactly where you are going. The fire maps helped him here as wall; although he couldn't get more than a passing glance at the first one he saw, the second one was in a nice empty corner, and he studied it for quite some time. First, disable the cameras. The security room would be…. there.

No need to blow anything up. He simply set the silencer outside the door, increased its range and it'd go to work. The handy little thing would keep cameras looping as long as he left it there. Now he was free to roam at leisure. It didn't take him long to find an empty computer room and he sat down, cracking his knuckles in preparation for some evil hacking.

There it was- fourth floor, standard records, Records Building. Damn it. He'd have to get into another building on the compound. He casually erased all traces of his break in, and strode out of the room keeping his expression calm and business like. He picked up the silencer, went out the back door and walked across the yard to the Records Building, a squat although large edifice. The security was tighter here. "Nathaniel Patel?" The guard said disbelieving. "I know I look young, right." Heero said shrugging. "No one believes I'm that young and working here." The guard looked at him suspiciously as he went through the hand and retinal scanner. This one took longer, and Heero's heart beat faster and faster for a few seconds, but he was cleared,

nonetheless. Whew. It had been easier when he was just a Gundam Pilot. Set off a few explosives, and do your job, while everyone was distracted, being a civilian spy was hell of a lot harder.

Up the elevator to the fourth floor. The Y-Z room here was much like the IGD; rows of files, nearly sorted in alphabetical order, but his search was so simplified by the fact that gene files, like Lila's were also sorted by disease. He picked the lock on the cryo-file cabinet hardly daring to breathe. When he found the files for Yuy, Akima, wife of Hayden Yuy. He closed his eyes in relief. Jackpot! There was even a DNA sample in a small vial. Heero stood there and read, and nearly wanted to weep. He knew the story already, but the writer at the CDC had put in human touches, the obituaries, the articles, everything. The article read;

_ Lila Yuy, the only sister of Heero Yuy, had tried for many years to conceive naturally in space, but she and her husband had failed. She had considered the test tube alternative, but her husband believed they could conceive on their own. Five years after the death of Heero Yuy, Lila gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The birth however cost her, her life. Shortly after Hayden Yuy committed suicide. No one knew what happened to the child. _

There was even a picture in the file; it showed Hayden and Akima hugging each other at the funeral for her brother on Colony One. Heero stared. He'd seen Hayden before. He knew it. But how? The man had been dead for twenty two years. He quietly pulled the files and was in the process of putting them into his back pockets when he felt the familiar, cool sensation of a gun pressed into his back. "Drop'em", a familiar voice said. Heero turned around, his eyes wide with shock. Detective Inverness motioned with the gun for Heero to put down the files. "I said drop'em".

Every instinct in Heero screamed at him to fight and run away, but he was a civilian now. reluctantly, he set the files down and raised his hands in submission. "Why Inverness"? Heero was hurt. The man helped Duo so much; why betray him now that he was so close to his goal? Inverness said nothing but he released the safety on his gun. "I don't know you"! He said and then Heero remembered Inverness would never admit he know him if he got caught. Cursing all the while, Heero walked out of the records room in handcuffs, mourning the loss of his files and his last hope of finding out who Hayden Yuy was.

"Well Yuy you really did it this time". The jail cell was clean and comfortable he'd been in much worse in his lifetime. Contrary to popular belief, most modern jails weren't nasty dungeon like affairs with dripping water and rat skeletons. They were, like this on in Atlanta, rather new and well kept, smelling fresh of urine and more of lemon cleaner, but there were always dim. The dimmer the cell, the more fear the occupant would feel. "Heero"! A familiar voice cried. Oh, damn it, it was Annelda. She'd be hurt by this far more than he would.

He heard the patter of her feet and saw her tear around the corner, skidding to a halt in from of his cell. She was wearing her usual black shirt, black jeans and black high heel boots which drove Heero arousals insane, Heero made himself steer away from carnal thought and he focused on looking as cool as he could in his rather embarrassing situation. "Heero, they're saying you broke into the CDC in Atlanta". "I did". "I can't believe they would accuse you of such a ridiculous …what"? "I said, I did". "But why Heero"? Annelda cried out.

Heero sighed. He couldn't explain it all to her, not yet. He closed his eyes, unable to look at her face. He wanted to share his secret with her after he'd solved it all himself. Right now he'd gone off on a tangent; he hadn't even been searching for his family, but for that of a man who'd been dead for twenty two years. "Heero"? He voice was soft, and understanding. "I shouldn't have asked that. But I would have been able to get you in there for whatever reason, I'm sure". Her voice trailed off. "I'll wait until you're ready to tell me Heero. I'll wait for you". Heero was still unable to look at her, but he could feel her love reflecting off him, even with the jail bars separating them. Connections. There was a connection between them, call it love, call it friendship, call it kindred souls. They were connected by the heart. Just as there was a connection between him and the real Heero Yuy beyond their names.

An officer came and escorted Annelda off to the side, no doubt haggling over bail and potential jail terms for breaking into the CDC a third set of footsteps approached his cell. Heero glanced up again, and was very surprised at who he saw. Inverness. "What the hell do you want"? Heero asked duly. The PI was back into her normal outfit, black trench coat, heavy scarf, a large board brimmed hat so that only his eyes shone amidst the darkness. "I wanted to apologize". Inverness said in a low voice. "Save your breath". Heero snorted, staring at the wall. "I'm serious Yuy. Even a PI has to have a day job, and this one gives me access to some very handy information. It's just rotten luck that you chose to break into the CDC during my shift. The guard at the gate asked me to keep an eye on you. Once I saw you with the files I had to make a move, or I'd be in trouble.

Heero said nothing. "The good news is that Annelda is passing around a lot of money to keep this quiet, and I've pulled a few strings as well. No one outside the CDC and the Atlanta's Sherriff's department should ever hear about any of it". Heero breathed a mental sigh of relief. He'd never forgive himself if Annelda's career was harmed due to his stupidity. "Are you going to anything at all"? After a moment of thought, Heero spoke. "Fuck you"!

Inverness laughed then, a greer rolling laugh that escaped from his black mantle in waves so that the clothing around him shook. Heero remembered Trowa laughing in much the same way, after he pretty much brought Heero back from the dead all those years ago. It was a laughter that released all the tension, all the fear and all the anxiety from a person. Heero felt himself smile. It was going to be all right after all.

"Are you alright, Heero? They didn't beat you or anything"? He and Annelda were walking arm and arm toward the private jet, which had carried her from the mission she was on to Atlanta the instant she heard of his arrest. She clutched a briefcase in the other hand, which Heero suspected had a lot less cash in it that it had a few hours earlier. "No Annelda, they didn't beat me, you should know they don't do that anymore being a former Gundam Pilot". As smart as Annelda was she'd been through her own kind of beating. Truth be told. He hadn't been abused too much, even in the clutches of the various factions. War was war, but even so people were people. Only truly sadistic men liked to torturer their defeated enemies for anything more than just information. "That's good baby, I'm glad". She squeezed his arm, and then remembered something. "Oh by the way babe, that man in black handed me a package that he said was for you". Heero stopped dead in his tracks, dropped her arm and stared at Annelda. "A package"?

Could Inverness have really? Annelda nodded and dug through her briefcase, producing a manila envelope taped firmly over the ends. "What's in it"? Annelda asked curiously. "What I broke into the CDC for". Heero said, his voice cracking with emotion. "What you,"! Annelda gazed at the envelope unable to tear her eyes away from the seductive tan sleeve. His fingers trembling, Heero opened it right there outside the CDC, their plane only a few feet away; the news article with the photograph of Hayden Yuy right on top. "Why it's you"! Annelda exclaimed, pointing to Hayden. "But who are all these other people"? "It's me"! "Oh my God"! "What Heero"? "It is me. No, no it's, it's my father". "Come on". He said carefully slipping the picture back into the envelope and grabbing her hand. "We've got to go see Sally right now".

Inverness had put DNA sample of Lila in the envelope as well, but it would only prove what he already knew.

"It's a match all right". Sally said in the preventer's headquarters, as she held up two small squares of genetic marker paper. Heero and Annelda had flown directly there from Atlanta and coerced Sally into running a DNA analysis of Heero and Lila. "There's no doubt about it. She was either your mother or someone else just as close". Heero was sitting against the lab wall. Staring at the ceiling still in shock over his revelation. "It all makes so much since now". He murmured half to himself. "What does, honey"? Annelda asked concern rippling through her voice. "I still don't understand what's going on". "I'm Heero Yuy's nephew". "What"? Sally dropped her clip board she was so surprised.

"I'm the son of Hayden and Lila Yuy. Lila Yuy was Heero Yuy's sister. She died giving child birth to a son, to me on Colony One". "But"! Annelda Trailed off. "You said you were raised by Odin Lowe". "I was. Odin Lowe killed my uncle, he must have felt guilty for taking away the only family I would have had left before I even had a chance to meet him, he raised me as his own son instead". Heero was not surprised to feel tears coursing down his cheeks. Annelda although still trying to hold back her tears, knew what he needed most was someone that loved him holding him.

"I'm glad, I'm glad you've found your family". She whispered as he sobbed onto her shoulder. "And all this time I thought it was just a code name". Heero said laughing through his tears. "It's my real name. I finally have a real name". Sally quietly left the lab, leaving the precious records of Heero's mother on the table, so that they could pick them up later. Heero's tears eventually ran dry and he sadly brushed at the shoulder of Annelda's shirt. "I'm sorry, baby. I cried all over your shirt". Annelda smiled at this. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're okay. Come on Heero lets go home".

She held out her hand and he gratefully took it. I'm no longer a stranger Heero thought numbly as they walked out to the airfield behind the headquarters. I'm finally a real person, I've got an identity, and yet I don't feel all that different. I'm still me. Heero Yuy, The Perfect Soldier. Deep down Heero suddenly realized that Doctor J had known too somehow. Heero smiled to himself.

CODE NAME, HEERO YUY, INDEED!


	3. BLOOD RED MOON

_"Heero it's me, I need your help. Come by my place, I'll leave the door unlocked. It'__s important come quickly." _

That was all I had to go on. I hadn't seen Annelda for months. I think she was working under cover for the Preventers on a need to know basis. Apparently Sally and the others didn't think I needed to know.

There was something troubling about her voice on my answering machine. I wasn't sure what it was exactly. Could it be vulnerability, a vulnerability I hadn't heard since her parents died? I looked up at the blood red moon and sighed. I arrived at the apartment, and as promised the door was unlocked, the apartment looked dark.

_"Annelda?" _I called out, expecting her to turn a corner and appear. Instead I got nothing; I quietly closed the door and made my way soundlessly through the apartment. Cautious, in case it was a trap but ready to act if she was really hurt. As I walked by the bathroom I heard the shower going. I opened the door checking to see if there was anyone lying in wait, before stepping into the bathroom.

The curtain wasn't pulled fully. From my vantage point I could see Annelda naked except for a white t-shirt. She was on her knees what looked like frigid water and pleasuring herself. Watching her fingers go in and out made me stir in answer. I blinked, cleared my throat and repeated _"Annelda."_

Annelda turned with her fingers still stroking herself. _"Heero ...you...you have to help me!"_ She said seriously. I looked into her eyes and they looked glassy like she was drugged. _"Annelda what happened?"_ She stepped out of the shower and crawled on all fours before me. I had never seen anything so sexy looking in my life. She kneeled submissively before me.

_"The mission went sour. The Rebels injected me with something. I can't help myself."_ She said as her cheek rubbed insistently at my stomach. Seems to be some type of aphrodisiac! _"I think their objective was to make me go insane." _As alluring and distracting as she was rubbing against me. I chose to stay focused. _"It's ok. Did they?" _Well I had to ask._ "Yes, then they got bored with me and decided to let me go."_ she said as she kissed my stomach. _"But not before I killed every last one of them."_ she said with pride. _"Heero I need release. I haven't slept in three days, cold showers do nothing. Please help me."_ My hand gently stroked her hair. She looked at me with pleading eyes. I knew she was in pain_. _I nodded.

That was enough by way of permission for her. She began to unzip my pants. Soon her mouth was kissing any flesh she could reach. Her hot mouth engulfed me and I thought I would lose my balance, because my knees almost gave out. She moaned as her head bobbed pack and forth on my harden length. She seemed to since I was close when she slowed the pace. It was then I managed to open my eyes in time to see while she was sucking me she had snaked a hand between her legs and was fingering herself. I almost came right then and there. I decided that this was the sexiest thing I had ever seen.

She pulled back from my aching member to look into my eyes. _"I need you inside me Heero. Please!" _I looked around the bathroom for a condom and quickly found some in a drawer. I attempted to put the condom on to press into her entrance as she leaned against the counter. She shook her head._ "I want you now!"_ Then she took me by the hips and impaled herself on me. Her legs quickly wrapped around my waist and I found myself grinding our bodies against the wall. _"Harder."_ she ordered. So I complied. She clung to me tightly while I continued to slam into her. Her kisses rained hot all over my face and neck.

Rather than praying not to accidently concuss her by banging her against the wall. I walked us over to the bedroom. My clothing was being seriously and hurriedly removed by a desperate woman longing to feel skin upon skin_. _Her wet shirt lay in a heap on the floor along with my clothes.

I'm not sure even now, how I ended up lying on the bed with her on top of me. I had every intension of screwing her into the bed with as much force as I had when we where screwing against the wall. I looked up into her beautiful blue eyes all the while trying to look like my usual stoic self. I felt anything but stoic, her warm, tight heat surrounding me, her own emotions looking angry, red and weeping. I reached up to grab her and move in the rhythm to which Annelda was riding me.

This felt so good and I felt guilty because I knew if she wasn't under the influence of some damn drug we wouldn't be like this. Frankly, I'm surprised she didn't call someone else for this mission. Maybe she figured I was closer than anyone else. As I looked into the glazed eyes of Annelda, I wondered what she was thinking about. I wondered if she was thinking about five years ago when we infiltrated and OZ base and she was the prisoner. She was so mad that I came to her aid. She was hurt! I was depressed because I didn't know how to help her at the time. A time before this we made love...no we fucked each other senseless one night. Just that one night! We never talked about it. Then we parted separate ways. She is a tough person to get out of your system, I have to admit.

Annelda's breathing was coming more quickly and I sensed she was close to climax. With a keening cry, she screamed my name and nearly collapsed on top of me, her arousement coating my stomach. Her rhythmic grasping my heart sent me careening over the edge calling out her name as well. While we both tried to catch our breath, Annelda kissed me sweetly. Her kisses could always send shivers up and down my spine. _"Thank you, Heero."_ she said as she carefully extracted from me. _"I've never been so tired."_ she said sleepily. _"Rest,__ Annelda."_ I told her and noticed that she was settling down. _"I knew you could help me."_ She practically whispered as she fell into a peaceful slumber. I watched her sleep. I had never seen anything more beautiful. The brow was unfurled, her face held the look of innocence. I had wanted to do nothing more than just to take her in my arms and never let her go.

When I was sure she was completely asleep, I whispered my confession. _"I know you don't believe this Annelda, but I love you. I always have. I will always look out for you. If you ever need me, I will a__lways be there, always.__"_ I looked to see if there was any reaction, nothing, there wasn't any. I eased back into the bed from forgetting to turn off the shower and watched the moon make its slow descent out of the sky.

Prussian blue eyes opened in the early morning. The first thing she noticed was she wasn't alone. She wasn't sure whose arms were holding her; she just knew they weren't the kidnappers. She tried to remember specifics of the last twenty four hours, when the memories crashed down on her like a plane falling from the sky,

She had escaped her captors, killing all except the head man. The one who recognized her from the wars and knew she was a former Gundam Pilot. _"Why __the hell didn't the preventers do more research?"_ Escaping would have been easier if they hadn't given her the drug. When she was discovered and the injection was ordered, she hoped it would at best be a quick acting poison that would kill her instantly or at the worst it would be some hallucinogenic designed to destroy her mind.

She wasn't expecting the drug to be an aphrodisiac. Annelda found herself shuddering in the present time. _"Am I still under the effects?"_ She panicked briefly. She mentally began running a systems check of her body like she would run a diagnostics on her computer. _"Burning sensation throughout body? No. Breathing seems normal, sweating is gone. Arousement?"_ Again a brief panic surfaced until she realized it was just a standard morning arousement.

Once Anneldawas satisfied that she wasn't in any imminent danger, she decided to turn over to see who was holding her. Carefully, as to not wake the sleeping form next to her, Annelda quickly and efficiently turned, her breath caught for a moment.

_"Heero!" _Annelda had never noticed how beautiful Heero looked sleeping. Heero looked so peaceful, his face relaxed, those brown bangs now covering over both eyes. The steady rise and fall of a well sculpted chest distracted Annelda, as she found her hand reaching out to gently push the bangs out of Heero's hand froze millimeters from the slumbering boy's hair. _"What the hell am I doing?"_

Now last night fell into place for her. She was disparate. Even though Rebels used her as a fuck toy for days she still couldn't get release. She made it back to the apartment, knowing she should report her discoveries of who was behind the latest upheavals to Une, but the pain was too much that she needed help. She didn't think a hospital would be of much help since she wouldn't be able to identify what drug was used on her. She hoped she could "burn" it out of her system. She had been this way for days, maybe and end was near. She reached for the phone trying to think of someone to call. She called Heero but got an answering machine. She hoped Heero would call or come by. She unlocked the door while shrugging off her shoes, jeans and underwear. She headed to the shower hoping it would cool her arousement down.

Normally cold water would have cooled down the desire, but this wasn't the case. She had an orgasm four times already. The last time was when Heero called her name in surprise seeing her in the shower. Annelda couldn't remember anything beyond that point. She hoped she had explained to Heero what was going on. She vaguely remembered Heero nodding his consent, before basically ravaging the poor girl. Annelda winced in memory, before recalling the experience was pleasurable. There was no pleasure earlier with the Rebels only humiliation. Heero was gentle with her. She knew she made the right choice by calling him.

Annelda startled slightly when she realized blue eyes were peering at her from sleep bed ragged bangs. _"Hi Heero." _Heero smiled briefly._"Hello Annelda, feeling better?"_ She blushed before answering. _"Yes."_ They continued to quietly stare at one another for a moment. Annelda looked away first. _"I'm sorry that I got you into this. I had nowhere else to turn."_ she said with a sad look on her face. _"Ah a last resort I see."_ Heero said with a mix of sadness and humor.

_"No that's not what I meant."_ Annelda said quickly, blushing slightly. _"I mean I basically molested you last night." _she said._ "Do you hear me complaining?" _Heero laughed before his expression changed. _"Are you__ okay now?" _Annelda shook her head in consent. _"The effects seem to be gone. I need to give my report to Une._" She said in a mono tone voice_. "Is there a rush? I thought you killed them all."_ Heero said slowly.

_"Almost__ all. Their leader left after he..."_ Annelda said as her voice trailed off and her eyes flickering into cold steel. Heero's eyes turned just as icy. _"Who is he? I will finish what you started."_ Annelda looked up at Heero in surprise._ "Heero?" "I'm serious I know that one of the things you never wanted to do after the wars was to kill again. You had to break that promise and I'm sorry. However, I've made no such promise. Besides I don't think Sally or Une will let you finish the mission."_ Heero said calmly. Annelda found herself moved by the speech, but she didn't know what to say about it. _"I need to take a shower!"_

Heero recognized the change of subject. _"Yeah me too. I'll let you go first."_ Annelda tried to get up, but found she was sore. It wasn't anything Heero had done; she had been hurting for days. She started her painful way towards the bathroom before being swept up into Heero's arms. _"WHAT!"_ She uttered in surprise and a little embarrassed.

_"I thought I would help you to the shower. After the shower, I will give you some pain kille__rs and a massage. Come on."_ Heero said as if he were talking to a small child and not a woman who formally killed people for a profession. She decided to humor Heero. Once in the bathroom, Heero let Annelda stand by the bathroom counter as he started the water. _"I don't remember turning off the shower from last night, Heero must have done it later." _She thought bemused. Once the temperature was one that suited Heero, he turned and lifted Annelda into the shower. As warm water beat down on her sore limbs, she noticed that Heero was about to leave.

_"Where are you going?"_ Heero stopped and turned to Annelda. _"I thought you would like some privacy." _Annelda laughed. _"After last night, there is no privacy. Get in here!"_ Heero returned to the shower. _"You sure are__ bossy."_ He said with a hint of a smile. _"Only about what I want."_ Annelda said before pulling him toward her and kissed Heero under the spray of warm water. Heero pulled away to catch his breath and not drown under the spray. _"We shouldn't be doing this. __You're hurt."_ Heero said in a concerned tone. _"I'll live."_ Annelda said before assaulting Heero's neck with kisses, fondling the fine line of muscles down Heero's back before grabbing his ass and pulling him closer. _"Annelda!"_ Heero moaned knowing he would lose this fight. Before she got anymore ideas he grabbed Annelda and pushed her to the far wall of the shower. Annelda looked at him in surprise. _"You hold onto that."_ Heero said pointing to the empty towel rack. _"I'll get this one!"_ He said with a smile.

He kissed Annelda deeply before starting his descent. Annelda moaned and let out a quick gasp when Heero nipped her on the neck, then licked none too apologetically at the injured spot. Her hands roamed over Heero's body as his mouth would follow the lazy pattern in its wake. While lovingly kissing and licking one nipple he would pinch the other then reverse pattern. Annelda could barely keep her grip on the towel rack. Heero's assault on her senses was making her want to ooze into a puddle on the floor. _"Heero, lower."_ She gasped out. Heero chuckled against Annelda's stomach. _"You really ARE bossy!"_ But he complied by kissing her lower, his hands roaming along her sides and up well muscled thighs. He nuzzled his nose in her stomach before lightly touching Annelda's arousal. Annelda bucked into the light touch and groaned when it vanished.

_"Stop teasing me Heero!"_ She moaned softly. "_Please."_ Heero smiled to himself. _"I've been called lots of things before but never a tease." _Rather than continue his torture on the girls senses he decided to show mercy. Her moans turned into nearly a scream when Heero's member descended on her arousement. She wanted to push forward and go deeper, but Heero's strong hold on her hips prevented it. So rather than fight, she decided to enjoy the warm wet seduction of Heero taking control. Heero pulled back to allow his rhythm to gain speed. The noises Annelda was making managed to make him painfully hard. Annelda was now only being held up by her death grip on the towel rack. She rocked her hips with Heero's before daring to release one of her hands to grab Heero's hair. _"Annelda I'm ..."_ Was as far as he got before his world exploded into white light. Annelda was prepared and relaxed to take all that Heero had to give before surrendering to her own orgasm. Annelda began to slide down the wall of the shower, her legs unstable. Heero watched the display and smiled.

Slowly Heero helped Annelda up and they did manage to take a shower. After drying off Annelda clad in a robe headed to the living room deciding it was time to call Une. Heero forced to wear an old robe of hers that was to short (not that she minded that one bit.) Went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Une was more than a little surprised to see Annelda on the video phone wearing a robe. _"Annelda what do you have to report? Do you know who is behind the latest terrorist activity? Where have you been? You were supposed to report to__ me days ago." _Une said in a stern tone. _"My cover was blown. I was held captive. I only man__aged to escape a few days ago."_ Annelda said without emotion. _"Who blew your cover?" _Une asked not seeing Heero approaching the room Annelda was in because he was out of range of the screen. _"The leader of the __guerilla group was someone we knew in the war. Remember Nichols?_" "_Nichols!" _Heero and Une said simultaneously. Une then started. "_Who is there with you now Annelda?" "Heero." _Annelda answered. _"Why?" _Une asked.

Heero stayed out of video range since he figured Une didn't need to see him in his current state of dress. _"Annelda was hurt, she asked me to help her."" Hurt!" _Une asked. _"Tortured." _Heero supplied. _"She's doing better now." "Where is Nichols? Is he still at the camp you were at?" _Lady Une asked wondering why Heero wouldn't show himself. Annelda said _"There is no one left at the camp Nichols left after he...Nichols left. I plotted an escape that required me to...eliminate the personnel, but don't worry I will find him." _Une shook her head. _"No, you were hurt at this man's hands I cannot allow you to do that. We'll put someone else on the case." "Why not me?"_ Heero asked. _"You're not a Preventer, Heero." "Come on Lady. Don't you think given the treatment he gave Annelda and you in the past th__at I owe our old friend a visit?" _Heero asked. Lady Une wasn't sure why, but something in Heero's words sounded sinister. _"No Heero. We will put someone else on the case. He will be brought to justice. I promise."_

Annelda stared off screen then back at Lady Une. "_I will fax you the rest of my report within the hour." "Ok Annelda. Heero said that you were tortured do you need medical assistance."_ Une asked. "_No Heero has taken good care of me. Annelda out."_ She said as she pressed the disconnect button. She looked at Heero's outfit and smiled. "_You should have let Une see you."_ Heero subconsciously pulled done the hem of the very, very short robe. "_I don't think so. It doesn't leave much to the imagination."_ "_That's why I like it."_ Annelda laughed. "_I'm sure Une would love to get an eyeful of you." "Shut up."_ Heero said, sticking out his tongue. He left the room briefly to return with two plates. "_I made an omelet, Enjoy!"_ Annelda never trusted anyone else's cookingbut her own. She remembered horrible meals in the past; she remembered that Quatre and Duo were the worst cooks ever. She looked at her omelet like it was poison. Heero noticed the look. "_It's eggs Annelda. It's difficult to destroy eggs, just have a few bites. If it's unbearable I'll make you a sandwich." _Annelda decided to humor Heero and took a few bites. A few bites however suddenly became the whole plate. He had forgotten that she hadn't eaten in days. He wasn't sure if it was because she was starving or not, but this was the best omelet she had ever had. Heero ate half of his omelet and noticed that Annelda polished hers off quickly. So he scraped the rest of his onto her plate._ "What?"_ Annelda said with a surprised look on her face._ "Just eat you need to build your strength."_ Heero said trying to sound unconcerned. "_You are too good for me Heero."_ Annelda said between bites. "_Sure I am!" _Heero smirked not believing a word she was saying. Annelda grabbed Heero's hand and stared deeply into the sea of Prussian blue eyes. _"You are." _Heero wanted to believe the words. He decided maybe a leap of faith was necessary. The look in Annelda's eyes told him that she was serious. He smiled. "_That's complete bullshit, but not true."_

Une was reading a report at her desk when she heard the first beep of her computer. With a sigh she mumbled to herself. _"Well there goes Annelda hacking into my computer."_ She didn't need to guess what she was looking for. _"She's a stubborn one."_

Annelda returned to work at the preventers a week after she had lost contact with them. Outwardly she showed no signs of whatever torture she had while being held captive, but it didn't take a mind reader for Une to figure out what the torture might have been. Only because of that she wasn't trying to hurriedly build a fire wall in her system to keep Annelda from hacking into her computer. Moments later as she was signing off on the report, she heard another beep. _"Ah that would be Heero."_ She smiled. She had noticed the two were spending more time together, although she still couldn't persuade Heero to join the Preventers. She wished he would have taken her up on the offer it might have made things easier for her. But she was willing to let him head the man hunt for Nichols unofficially.

Nichols, _"I should have court marshaled him when I __had the chance."_ Une quietly fumed. He had constantly argued her orders like she didn't know how to fight in a war. Sometimes he seemed human, other times an arrogant asshole. _"Mind you I was no walk in the park back then either." _She smiled. I remember the time before when I was of shall we say a split mind. The split being my need to make Treize happy at all cost. I was both hawk and dove. Strong and gentle. As the general I was ruthless to a fault, as the Lady a wimpy, peace loving freak. I'm sure it was difficult figuring out which orders to follow. But Nichols had always been rather gung-ho. I often wondered if he really wasn't just following Tsubarov's leadership instead of mine. Finding someone to take over the case hadn't been easy. Wufei refused as did any other agents who knew that Annelda was on the case first. Finally she ended up giving it to two people who were still wet behind the ears. They weren't here long enough to know that if Annelda was on a mission she never gives up even if that mission was taken from her. She only hoped she wouldn't drive the two rookies crazy.

Annelda was in the throes of a nightmare, she was thrashing around fighting the enemy as if she couldn't in her waking moment. She was trapped reliving the torment she was under when held captive. Nichols face loomed over her own. _"I understand Gundam Pilots are known for their endurance._ _Let's test that theory shall we."_ He said has the needle plunged into her skin. Without waiting for the drug to take effect he had the other hold her down while he viciously tore off her clothing.

"_Annelda!"_ the pain was worse than any she could remember and she had self destructed once. _"Annelda you're dreaming, wake up." _She tried not to show her tears or to cry out but the pounding into her body was too much. She screamed _"Annelda, it's Heero, listen to me, open your eyes baby"._ Heero said screaming at her. _"Open your eyes woman I want to see your pain."_ Nichols huffed huskily as he continued to violate her. The others watching on and laughing cheering their leader on. _"Annelda, its Heero, wake up please!"_ Annelda eyes shot wide open and she bolted straight up in bed, right into Heero's arms. Her pulse racing, her eyes refused to focus for a moment. She didn't even realize Heero was holding her but when she did she jumped before looking to see who it was that was holding her. When she realized who it was she relaxed a little. _"It's okay now Annelda you're awake."_ Heero said gently as he held her tighter in his arms. They lay back down together on the bed with Heero slowly rubbing her neck and back. "_It's okay."_ He soothed and Annelda's breathing slowed to a normal rhythm.

While Heero's words and motions were soothing, Heero's thoughts were darker. _"That's__ the twelfth nightmare in two weeks. Nichols, every nightmare is going to equal the number of bullets I'm going to put in your body. Sleep well Nichols, your days are very numbered." _Annelda eased back to sleep in Heero's arms, soon after Heero followed never letting go.

Annelda and Heero had hoped for a quiet lunch alone to compare notes, but Noin and Sally insisted on joining them. They sat in the Preventers cafeteria. _"Heero you really would be a welcomed addition around here."_ Sally said. _"__I'm fine with the things are now. I have the freedom to do whatever I please. I think working here would be a little confining."_ Heero shrugged. _"Une is a very flexible boss to work for. I'm sure s__he would let you do your wanderlust thing."_ Noin argued. _"W__hen are you two going to learn you can't badger Heero into doing anything he doesn't want to do?"_ Annelda spoke up. Sally laughed. _"We're not badgering him." "You're not?"_ Heero asked. Noin shook her head. _"It's a lost cause Sally. Wufei was right."_ Sally sighed. _"I guess you're right, damn that means I now owe Wufei some money." _It was now Annelda and Heero's turn to laugh. Heero smiled, _"Wufei, no wonder. Hope it wasn't a large bet." _Sally shook her head. _"Only twenty bucks, I'll survive."_

Noin and Sally took their trays to leave. _"If you ever change your mind Heero!"_ _"You'll be the first to know."_ Heero said as he watched them leave. With a sigh he looked at Annelda. _"Alone at last." "Well as alone one can be in a room surrounded by people."_ She remarked with a smile as she continued to slide her foot playfully to Heero's growing bulge. _"When did you get so perverted Annelda? I can't believe you sat there groping me with them sitting so close to us."_ He said as he spread his legs a bit. _"Ah H__eero, where's your sense of humor? Actually I'm proud that you could have a coherent conversation with them at all."_ Annelda laughed, but didn't stop her assault on Heero's crotch. _"It takes years of training. The toughest part was not to blush." _He said as his complexion took a rosy hue. _"You're blushing now."_She said with sarcasm in her voice _"Well we are alone. Sort of, shall we take this somewhere else?" _Heero said a little breathless.

_"Of course "_Annelda said as she removed her foot and slid it back into her shoe. She grabbed her tray and said _"let's go!" _Heero, thankful he was wearing baggie jeans and a rather long sweater followed. He was a little surprised that they were still in the building though. He thought they would go somewhere quiet. They turned a corner and in a small hallway opened the door to the supply room and she took Heero's hand. Once inside she locked the door. _"A supply room, how original." _Heero said before gently pushing Annelda into the door and giving her a deep kiss. Annelda responded to the kiss by taking her tongue and stabbing her way into Heero's mouth. Heero moaned and allowed access. Heero grabbed Annelda's hips and steady grinded up against her so their arousement could meet. Annelda pulled away the kiss to gasp. Wasting no time Heero pulled Annelda's sweater off and began licking and sucking on her neck. _"God Heero."_ Annelda whispered desperately as her hands slid under the waist band of Heero's pants to rub and squeeze the pert bottom that remained hidden by clothing. Quickly she pulled her hand out and began undoing Heero's pants to seek out Heero's proof of desire.

Heero followed suit and simultaneously he pulled her skirt off and started fingering her. _"Heero!" _Annelda gasped out. _"I want you." _Heero groaned at the need in Annelda's voice. He sucked on her nipples before managing to say in a huskily voice, _"I want you too."_ Heero smiled, and then slightly pushed away from Annelda. Reaching into his pocket he produced a small bag_. "What's that?"_ Annelda asked although she could guess. He pulled out a condom. Noting the look on Annelda's face he explained, _"less mess for the janitors."_

Annelda laughed_, "Like a boy scout, you're always prepared. Wait__,"_ Annelda said. _"There is a trick to this that the girls talk about__, let me do it." "Okay, have at it."_ Heero said with a smile on his face. She takes the condom and puts it on Heero with her mouth. _"That was __freakin' awesome." _He said as she continued to unroll the condom on Heero's aching member. He could feel the difference while marveling the sensation that he hadn't noticed that Annelda unbuttoned her shirt. Heero pulled Annelda back up to him with a bruising kiss, his hand stroking her back. Heero pushed into her, she pulled back to whisper in Heero's ear, _"TAKE ME!"_ Heero with great gentleness he slid in with very little resistance and began going in and out of her. Annelda moaned and whispered _"harder"_ and without hesitation he complied. "_Annelda, God I'm….. I'm going to scream."_ Enjoying every moan, made them want each other more and more.

The look in Annelda's blue eyes told Heero that she was ready and with that knowledge, he plunged into her once again at a slow pace. Annelda rasped out _"not gentle, Heero! I want you to screw me. Hard please?"_ Heero nodded and one quick movement he slammed into Annelda's body. Annelda tensed for a second and tried her best not to cry out in sheer joy because when Heero plunged he aimed for Annelda's sensitive spot. Like a piston, Heero began to repeatedly pump into Annelda driving her higher and higher. Heero feeling the same way they eventually lost control. Annelda's feet were no longer on the ground because her legs were wrapped around Heero's waist. Heero's hands were holding her by ass and she hoped with the force they wouldn't break down the door they were leaned against. Sweat pouring off their bodies, no longer caring if anyone heard them. Their moans and cries got louder and louder. Annelda sensed that Heero was close to completion so she began to ride him even harder than before.

_"Annelda!"_ Heero cried as his seed released into its latex prison. Annelda gasp as he pulled out of her, she collapsed against Heero briefly trying to catch her breath. Slowly they disengaged and Heero removed the condom with care trying not to make a mess. He found a box of tissues in the room and quickly cleaned himself. He grabbed another for Annelda and to put the condom in before throwing it in the trash. "It camouflages them." Heero said.

Annelda smiled at this. _"Guess we__ should be getting back."_ He said as they put back on their clothes. _"__Yeah, does it bother you that I have to go back to work?"_ Annelda asked. Heero looked closely into Annelda's eyes. _"__No it doesn't."_ Heero said. Heero and Annelda gave the room one last look to make sure it wasn't in worse condition. Heero walked Annelda back to her office. _"__You'll keep me informed on the man hunt right?"_ Annelda nodded her head. _"__We will talk tonight."_Heero nodded and headed for the car. _"__See you tonight."_

_"What a wasted lunch."_ Heero chuckled to himself. _"Well not wasted, but we didn't get to discuss the Nichols situation."_ Heero felt he had a solid lead in the case. There was a gun show not too far out of town. Although guns were now illegal, there were traveling shows everywhere that pose as traveling exhibits. These shows always brought out someone willing to sell some of their undisplayed wares under the table. That would be the only way someone like Nichols would be able to amass enough arms to start his **"New Horizo****n** **Revolution."**

He would have to send Annelda some encrypted email explaining the situation. He was sure Annelda wouldn't be thrilled with him going off by himself. Especially since Nichols knew Heero's face. They knew each other when Heero was undercover during the war. Nichols didn't trust him and spent much of his time trying make Annelda's life a living hell without Une's knowledge, but she picked up on the fact and called Nichols on it several times. Heero didn't care if Nichols recognized him or not. He just knew he was going to kill him. Period.

Heero stopped at the apartment to grab a quick shower. Change of clothes and to leave Annelda a message. Clean from his shower and wearing a towel, walked over to his computer and sent an encrypted message. As he got dressed he sought out the lock box hidden in the bedroom. Opening the box he pulled out a gun and its ammo clip. He placed the bullets in to the clip before loading it into the gun and making sure the safety was still on. He put on a shoulder holster, placed the gun in it and placed a bulky looking coat over his ensemble.

His computer beeped. He walked over and decrypted the message that read: _**I'll meet you there. **__"Damn!"_ Heero said aloud. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he hoped to have a fair running start before Annelda read the message. He raced out of the apartment, got into his car and sped the whole way to the gun show. Annelda rushed out of the office without a word to anyone.

The gun show had many different types of guns on display from as far back as the nineteenth century to the last examples of firearms of the last war. Mostly the audience consisted of former gun collectors who were forced to relinquish their prize collections in a show of peace who sadly wished they still owed their collections, former soldiers thinking back in remembrance and crackpots who just loved firearms. Heero now was divided with keeping an eye out for Nichols and for Annelda. Before long while looking at a tiny gun called a derringer, a familiar voice said in his ear, _"well, well isn't this a small world Heero?"_

Heero didn't need to turn around to know it was Nichols. He also knew he had no choice but to go where ever he was being led because he could feel the muzzle of a gun firmly in his back aimed near a kidney. _"Let's go for __a walk 01__."_ Nichols said casually as they left the large tent that housed the gun show into a neighboring field. _"What brings you to __my little corner of the world 01?"_ Heero turned to look at the man who got to him through a slip of concentration. _"Why you, of course Nichols."_ Heero said with a slight smile. _"For what purpose, I know you have no interest in joining my New Horizon organization."_ Nichols said laughing a little.

_"I've come to __kill you."_ Heero said in a level voice. _"Kill me?"_ Nichols laughed. _"Well I must say if that was your motive you've done a lousy job of it." "The night is still young."_ Heero said calmly. Nichols continued to laugh. _"What a waste. You would be great __in my organization I need good mercenaries and I suspect you would be one of the best."_ _"One gets tired of killing, Nichols." "Obviously, you don't or else you wouldn't be here trying to kill me."_ Nichols smiled. _"I'm here to kill you for personal reasons."_ Heero shrugged. _"Those, being__?__"_ Nichols said. _**"ME!"**_ A voice said from behind Nichols's back. Nichols smiled and angled himself so he could see the hidden speaker while he continued to train his gun on Heero. _"Ah if it isn't my favorite fuck toy. Do join the pa__rty." "Go to hell."_ Annelda said with a flash of anger_. "I don't think so. You may get a shot off, but I will still manage to kill your lover here." _Nichols said without taking his eyes off Heero. _"I don't care if I die. Kill him Annelda."_ Heero said calmly.

Nichols laughed. _"She won't do __it fool. Did she tell you of our marvelous time together? She is quite something, don't you agree?" "Shut up!"_ Heero said angrily. It's the first flash of emotion he showed to Nichols the entire exchange. _"My men enjoyed __her greatly as well. Of course she was more willing by the time they got to her." "Don't make me say it again."_ Heero said. _"Or what, you'll shoot me? I don't think so."_ Nichols said as he casually ignored Annelda and walked over to Heero to grab the gun that was holstered inside Heero's jacket. _"I thought you looked a little bulky, stick boy."_

Heero wanted to grab Nichols when he was close and Nichols must have sensed that which was why the gun as he approached Heero was aimed at his heart. Annelda stood with her gun still trained on Nichols but her eyes were far away, lost in painful memories. A shot fired making Nichols drop his gun in his shooting hand. He looked up quizzically at Annelda who was still standing like a statue. He knew Heero hadn't shot him because he was holding that boy's gun in his hand. Another shot rang out injuring his other hand and forcing him to drop the other gun. _"What the..?" "Hello Nichols."_ A new voice said. He looked towards the source of the voice. _"What are you doing here?__ Shouldn't you be in a nut house somewhere_?" He glared.

Une smiled, _"I'm all better, thanks for asking Nichols. I'm afraid you are in a bit of trouble right now." I don't think so."_ He said as he went to bend down to pick up his gun. One last shot fired out, striking him in the chest and killing him instantly. _"I beg to differ."_ Une said coldly. She walked over to Nichols's body and checked for a pulse knowing she would find none. Heero had walked over to Annelda, to take the gun out of her shaking hands. The shots had snapped Annelda back to reality. Heero and Annelda walked over to Une.

_"How did you know where to find us?"_ Heero asked. _"I followed Annelda." _Une said. _"I didn't want__ either of you to have to assassinate this scum." _She spat out staring at the prone body of Nichols. Annelda walks over with Une to look at Nichols. _"One is tired of killing Nichols, and I'm done."_ Annelda said with tears welling up in her eyes. _"I don't u__nderstand something__,__ why you Lady?"_ Annelda asked Une. _"You both have bright futures, taking his life in wartime is one thing, but in a time of peace it's a criminal offense." _Une continued. _"I didn't want to be forced to turn any of you in for killing him__." "What about his organization?" _Heero asked. _"Duo and Wufei have been doing a fine job of finding Nichols's__ followers. That was what I assigned them to do because I knew you or Annelda would find Nichols." _Une said. She called Preventers Headquarters. _"I__ need a team out here stat. I'll leave the tracer on so you can come to this location. Une out"_

_"Do you feel remorse?"_ Heero asked hesitantly. Une looked at him. _"What, f__or killing him?"_ She laughed. _"Are you afraid that I've reverted to my old ways? In a__n earlier life if I were the General, the answer would be there is no beauty in killing anyone so the answer would be yes, but as me, myself and I became just Une, I'd have to say he had many opportunities to turn his life around and he never took them. He tortured and humiliated others with no regard or care; I can't say I regret it at all." "You knew of..."_ Annelda started. _"My other selves, back then? Not at first. I think we started to become me when I was shot by Tsubarov. I had to accept that I could __be both tough yet fair without compromising my ideas or Treize's. I knew that you two were always kind to me regardless of who presented themselves to you. Nichols showed me pity at sometimes and just plain insubordination at other times. He never attempted to see the balance I was trying to maintain, but I think you two did." _

_"What about this?"_Heero asked as sirens approached them. _"Don't worry about this, you two should go now. I'll take care of everything."_ Une said. _"But"_ Annelda said. _"I'm serious __you two. Leave now!" _Une said with authority as she walked towards the police car with her hands up in the air and the gun held aloft in a harmless position. Annelda watched from afar and wanted to help, she started to walk back towards Une_. "Annelda we have to go there is nothing we can do now. Annelda! Annelda, c'mon lets go, now!"_ Heero shouted at her.

Heero and Annelda left the scene unnoticed. _"I can't believe I froze like that."_ Annelda said ashamed. _"He__ could have killed you or Une."_ Heero took Annelda by the hand as they walked towards Heero's car. "_It was understandable. This is why I wanted to be the one to handle this." "You knew I'd do that?" _Annelda looked up at him. _"Let's just say there could have been two outcomes. One, you could have showed__ up with guns a blazing, or you could have froze. I didn't like either prospect."_ Heero said. _"Heero? Were you serious about not caring if you died either?"_ Heero looked at his lover. _"If it would have brought you peace by killing him, then yes, I was will__ing to die to let you achieve that." _

Annelda pulled him into an embrace. _"I'm glad I didn't do it. I would have missed you greatly." _Heero put a finger to Annelda's mouth. _"I know, don't' jinx it by saying it aloud." _He leaned in and kissed the lips he silenced. The next morning after Annelda had her first peaceful sleep without night mares, she and Heero turned on the television.

_"The head of the peace organization, The Preventers has been released from jail today on__ bond for the killing of one former OZ Soldier, David Nichols. Nichols was responsible for a terrorist organization that had claimed responsibility for several bombings. The other members of the group have been arrested for terrorist acts. Until the trial, Ms. Une is suspended from her duties as head of Preventers, an organization that has been preventing disruptions to world peace for the past five years."_ The reporter droned, while Annelda and Heero watched the video of Une getting out of jail with Sally and Noin walking with her.

_"I hope she knows what's she's doing."_ Heero said has he watched the TV. _"She's like us, Heero." _Annelda said. _"She's a survivor, she'll survive this."_ Annelda looking at the confidence on the face of the woman that was once her enemy and was now a friend that she owed a great debt to. _"I'm sure your right." _Heero said has he looked at her and she looked at him with smiles. He holds her and kisses her on the head as they fall into a deep slumbers nap.


End file.
